June 10, 2010, 5:02AM

TRENTON — Family members of defendants do not have an automatic right to speak during sentencings, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Unlike the families of crime victims, who have that right under state law, judges don’t have to let defendants’ relatives comment. However, the court ruled that when preventing family members from making statements, judges must cite their... Full story »

June 09, 2010, 6:30AM

TRENTON — Charging that Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed aid cuts "indisputably violated" the state’s obligation to fund schools in a manner upheld by the New Jersey Supreme Court, an education advocacy group filed a motion Tuesday seeking to force the state to abide by the existing school funding formula. The action by the Newark-based Education Law Center on behalf... Full story »

June 06, 2010, 7:14AM

PLAINFIELD — Nobody, not even German Marquez, disputes he was driving while impaired when he rear-ended another car near a Plainfield intersection on Sept. 20, 2007. But a side issue in his case, now before the state Supreme Court, could affect how police in New Jersey interact with people who speak no English. At issue is whether DWI suspects... Full story »

June 02, 2010, 8:15PM

TRENTON — When Pablo Carvajal told police he didn’t own the duffel bag on a bus he had taken from Florida to Union City, they opened it and found it did belong to him — and was filled with 26 ounces of heroin. Today, the state Supreme Court said after denying the bag was his, the Florida man could... Full story »

June 01, 2010, 9:48PM

TRENTON — Refusing to renew a contract with a worker because of age violates New Jersey’s anti-discrimination law, the state Supreme Court ruled today. The decision, in the case of a former college dean who worked under a series of multi-year contracts, says the law applies as it would to an "at will" employee. Citing significant public interest, the... Full story »

May 22, 2010, 7:00AM

ATLANTIC CITY — Former Supreme Court Justice John Wallace Jr. only hinted at how tough the past few weeks have been when he thanked a roomful of lawyers and judges Friday for the support they’ve shown since Gov. Chris Christie declined to reappoint him. "You’ve made these last two weeks bearable," Wallace told those assembled at the state bar... Full story »

May 12, 2010, 7:40PM

TRENTON -- A tenured teacher accused of sexually abusing a student can be brought up on disciplinary charges and fired, even if the assault case is not proved, the state Supreme Court ruled today. The 6-1 decision, with Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto dissenting, involved former Roselle teacher Gilbert Young Jr., who lost his teaching job for "unbecoming conduct." "The lesson... Full story »

May 11, 2010, 7:07PM

TRENTON — The state Supreme Court, citing the right of citizens to public information, ruled today that the media are protected from defamation lawsuits if they meet certain conditions when reporting on court cases — even if the allegations turn out to be false. In a precedent-setting case involving a Glen Ridge man and North Jersey Media Group, publishers... Full story »